The Word of the truth; a synopsis of the vital truth of the New Testament

Front matter

Book »v>Cg.^

COPYRXGiiT BEFOSm

The Word of the Truth

Foreword

When St. John wrote that "God is love; and he who lives in love, lives in Him," he said all there is to be said.

The whole purpose of God, revealed in His Word, is to the end that men shall come to love one another in mutual sympathy, kindness and helpfulness, until the Kingdom of God is naturally established by this Divine harmonizing power.

As we all become "in Christ," living in His spirit and life of" love; we become reconciled, regenerated, redeemed, justified, saved and sanctified.

"The Way of Holiness, . . the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

Then why have we erred, into the tortuous ways of theological speculation and religious confusion ?

For several reasons: First, because we did not have the Gospel in plain words. The men for whom the New Testament was written were unlearned, practically ignorant, and everything was written down to their understanding. As time goes on the scholars become familiar with their idiom, and the splendid simplicity of the Divine Message becomes apparent. The puzzling compound words are found to have simple meanings. Predestination is God's plan for us; when God reconciled. He convinced us of His love; as the pra<itice of love sets us free from the habit of sin, we are redeemed; as love makes whole what was decayed by the ravages of sin, we are saved; and as love purifies from the defilements of sin, we are sanctified. As we walk in God's Right ways, we are justified, or made Right; and in the practice and enjoyment of- the power and honor of the Right Life, we are glorified. The holy spirit is God's purpose guiding us; grace is God's favour helping us; faith is faithfulness to both.

Second: We erred through lack of a systematic statement in a continuous sense of the elements of God's revealed Will: for such a recitation of these principles in logical sequence demonstrates their meaning better than the most learned argument.

I have tried to supply these deficiencies; and herewith offer my labors in His service, confident that God will bless my endeavors just to the extent that they declare the spirit of His Will.

ARTHUR T. CORNWELL.

m^i

Table Of Contents

I. THE WORD.

Note .1. The Word. Reason. J^gic. Order. 2. The Name. To keep. To abide, dwell.

II. THE LIFE.

Chapter I. The Word

1 In the beginning the Word was. Through the ,Word all things became. In the Word was Life; and the Life was the Light of men. To those who receive the Word, God gives power to become Chfldren of God, — ^^to those who are faithful to His Name, . . who are born of God; . . having been born again, through the living and eternally continuing Word of God; . . He having purposed that we should be born of the Word of Truth; that we should be the first fruits of His New creation.

The Word.— See Note 1: Life (3,) Light (9,) Children of God (21,) His Name (2,) Born again (17,) Born of God, see xiii:5.

Through the Word. — the principle of Order, assigning definite character to each detail of creation, and exact conditions of operation to every creature.

His nevi^ creation. — God's new order of men; "the New Man" (17.)

2 The Word became flesh, and dwelt for a time among us, and we saw his glory, a glory as of an Only Son sent from the Father, full of Grace and Truth. You are enriched "in him," in all knowledge, in so far as the Word of Christ becomes established in you. If you abide in my Word, you shall know the Truth; (Thy Word is Truth!) and the Truth shall set you free.

Dwelt among us. — ^literally tented, in flesh like ours. "If our earthly tent-house be destroyed, etc." 2 Cor. 5:2.

We saw. — as in a theater; gazed upon with critical interest and instruction.

Grace, . . Truth. — see Notes 55,11. Abide. — see Note 2.

Shall know. — you will know of yourselves.

Shall set you free. — see Chap, xxvii.

I

12 CHAPTER I

3 Blessed are they who hear the Word of God, and keep it. Whoever shall keep His Word, in him the Love of God is perfected. If anyone love me, he will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we wlill come to him, and abide with him. If anyone keep my Word, he shall not see death forever. He who hears my Word, and is faithful to Him who sent me, has eternal life; has passed out of Death into Life.

Who hear . . and keep. — those hearing and guarding; suggesting vigilence, earnestness in receiving and preserving in purity. See Note 2.

Love is perfected. — ^having loved God perfectly, he is qualified to become the object of God's fullest Favour.

4 The heavens and the earth shall pass away, but my Words shall not pass away. I judge no man; but he who rejects me, and does not receive my Words, the Word which I speak shall judge him in the Last Day. Everyone who hears my Words and practices them, is like a Sensible man, who built his house upon the rock; and the rains came down, and the torrents, and the wind blew, and fell upon that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded upon the rock.

Who rejects me. — who is putting me out of his mind and life. The Word shall judge. — ^^it is the criterion, or basis of judgment.

Sensible. — sensitive to Truth.

5 God sent the Word through Jesus Christ, announcing the Gospel of Peace; . . that in every nation, he who reverences God, and works Rightness is accepted by Him ; . . that we, having been made Right, should become partakers, (according to the Hope . . laid up in heaven, which is declared in the Word of the Truth of the Gospel) of Life eternaL

6 The Lord bore witness to the Word of His Grace; which is able to (edify) build you up, and to give you participation among the Purified; that a.s pure and blameless children of God, you mav shine as great lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Life.

Bore witness. — God proved, in Christ, the efficiency of His Word.

You may shine, — of yourselves, exemplifying the Word of Life.

OTE, 1

7 Faithful is the Word, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Therein we have Hope in a living God, who is the Saviour of all men — specially of the faithful.

Faithful. — the Word is reliable and worthy to be received in the fullest degree of confidence.

1. A Word, or Logic, is the expression of a reasonable Idea; or, the Idea itself before expression. The Idea may be very simple or very profound. The Word expressed in the Life and Spirit of Jesus was the Divine Idea. Order, Reason, Logic, in accordance with which "all things came into being, which have being;" the deliberate, defined Will of God as to what man should become through his own creative act; — working out his own salvation with fear and trembling; perfecting holiness in the fear of God; acquiring Rightness through faithfulness.

The universe has been created, and is continually operated, in accordance with a definite, logical Order, or Plan, founded on the one reality, Truth; to be perfected by the one harmonizing force. Love. Co-operation with this Order, is the means of Life, growing and expanding. Discord, conflict, failure to comply, through ignorance, indifference, or willfulness (sin), is Death, — that is, losing Life, losing power and peace, because it puts the sinner outside of its beneficial working and deprives him of its benefits. He is "Lawless" (13), in anarchy, "the sport of chance," subject to the destruction which attends disorder.

The Word, (sometimes "mystery," often "commandment,") is the expression of this Order or Plan. Rightness is conduct which is strictly in accordance with it. Faithfulness is that earnest co-operation, based on positive confidence, which produces Rightness. Love is the motive, the incentive; and Hope is the support of the work of Faith. In conscious harmony and active co-operation with the Divine Order, is the only peace.

To arouse consciousness (new birth,) to excite interest, to enable sensitive comprehension of this Divine Order (which results in inducement to co-operate,) is the object of the Revelation of God in Christ. To strive with courage and constancy to grasp little by little, more and more, this knowledge and power and peace, is our human duty and privilege.

In the material world you may not do all that you would wish to do; but in spirit, you may be all that you may will to be.

14 CHAPTER I

Saviour of all. — that is, available to all, subject to obedience. Heb. 5:9. • .

8 God's Word energizes in you who are faithful; . . the Word of the Cross, which is to u§ who are being saved, a power of God; . ^ the Word of salvation, through which you are being saved, if you hold fast the Word of the Gospel.

Energizes.: — ^itself is working and accomplishing. The Word of the Cross. — ^the logic, idea conveyed by the Cross. See Note 38.

Hold fast. — ^have in full possession; occupy; keep (2.)

9 Accept the established and proved Word, which is able to save your souls; but become doers of the Word, not hearers only, — beguiling yourselves. Having left the elements of the Word of Christ, we should go on to perfection.

Doers, . . hearers.-^ — It is a tragic self-deception to suppose that mere belief, mental consent and acceptance, is enough to save. No thought, though it were of the noblest, can take the place of action; No idea has any permanence until it is made a fact.

Having left the elements. — ^having received the principles of God's Idea; we must proceed to realize it in our lives.

The Parable of the Word.

10 A sower went out to sow, (The sower sows the Word.) and as he sowed, some seeds fell in the beaten road, and the birds came and ate them up. (Those who hear the Word of the Kingdom, and do not keep it, and that which is evil comes and steals away that which was sown in the heart.)

11 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth, and immediately sprang up, and the sun having arisen, they were scorched, and were dried up, because they had no root. (This is he who hears the Word, and immediately with joy receives it ; who has not root in himself but for the time ; and afflictions, persecutSons, or trial having arisen through the Word, immediately he is offended, and falls away.)

Stony. — of rocks, great or small; from same Greek root as Peter. See Note to xxx:6.

Immediately with joy receives it. — who is enthusiastic, but for the moment.

NOTE 2 15

12 Some fell among the briars, and the briars grew up and choked them. (This is he who hears the Word, and the distractions of this life, and the pleasures of prosperity, and the lust of other things, entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.)

13 And some fell upon the good ground, and it yielded fruit, some one hundred fold, another sixty, another thirty. (This is he who in a good and loving heart, hears the Word and keeps it ; who indeed brings forth fruit in patience.)

14 To whoever has (the loving heart, the good will to keep and to do,) to him shall be given, and he shall have (Life) abundantly; but whoever has not (the good will, etc.,) that which he has shall be taken from him.

Whoever has. — see same expression, xxi:13.

Here are three classes of persons in whom the knowledge of the Truth is unfruitful. With the first class, the Word made no permanent impression on the mind. They did not keep (2) it intelligently. The second class did not guard it affectionately; it had no hold in their hard hearts. It was not the object of the single, exclusive desire of the third class, because other more enticing and treacherous desires distracted them. This is one of many suggestions, that Religion (the Love and Life of God — ^in man) must be engaged in with the whole mind, and heart, and soul, or there is no progress, no success.

2. A Name represents the purpose and power implied by a title, i. e., Father, Saviour, Captain, Word, Way, etc. Laws are executed "in the name of the State," i. e., through its power, to accomplish its purpose, to establish its Order, to carry out its plan of Law, Col. 3:17. — Whatever you do, in word or work, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

"In His Name" has practically the sense of "in his spirit;" done in accordance with, or being in harmony with his will, his motive, his purpose.

To keep; to hold fast in mind as the rule of life; to guard affectionately; to practice faithfully; in short, to love (actively) with the whole mind, heart, soul and strength.

To abide, dwell; implies perfect intimacy, permanent presence, and continuous activity.

Chapter II. The Life

In the Word was Life. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, that every one who is faithful to him may not perish, but may have eternal Life, He who is faithful to the Son has eternal Life. He who is not obedient to the Son shall not see Life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. He who hears my Word, and is faithful to Him who sent me, has eternal Life; has passed out of death into Life.

Life . . death. — see Notes 3, 4.

Perish. — is not lost out of life; same word as "lost" in Jn. 6:12.

Obedient. — more ^exactly, persuaded; having accepted guidance, through the influence of his sublime example.

Has passed . . into Life. — The first resurrection is here and now; the ascent into the life which is Life indeed. The perception of Truth, the practice of Love, the pursuit of Purity, the possession of Peace, all growing richer and more glorious as they increase into the Glory of Christ. — ^this is the present and eternally continuing Life of God in the spirit of man.

2 I am the resurrection and the Life. He who is faithful to me, though he die (temporarily,) shall Live; and everyone who Lives faithful unto me shall not die eternally. I am the Way; the Truth and the life. I came that the^ might have Life; and might have it abundantly. I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to (live in) me, shall not hunger; and he who is faithful to me, shall not thirst henceforth. The Words which I speak to you are spirit and are Life.

I am the resurrection. — In my spirit, if my spirit is in you, though the body were dead (literally or figuratively,) yet in my spirit is Life. — victory over Death.

I am the Way. — the Truth which he declared, the Life which he exemplified; these are the ways of Life. See note v;l. "No one can weave Truth and Goodness and Purity and Beauty into theirlife without making that life richer and more abundant."

NOTE 3 17

3. Life is not mere existence; but the intense, sensitive, joyful use of all the faculties, especially the spiritual.

We have each within us the possibilities and means of living two separate, distinct lives. One craving individual, sensual satisfaction; self-willed, animal. (In this sense the Greek word for "soul" is 39 times translated "life" in the common English version.) The other, a Divine, spiritual Life, which is not merely this life, but that which is worthy to be extended into "the ages of the ages." It is the Christ-filled life, lived in harmony with the Word, in knowledge of the Truth, Living in Love, desiring and working for universal welfare because it is the Will of God. (31) The one business of man on earth, and the one source of blessedness, . is to subdue and control his natural self -life, and throw its energy into the realization of his spiritual Life of God. "Not only to keep down the base in man; But to have high thoughts and amiable words, And love of Truth; — % Striving to grow perfect as He is perfect."

The hope of immortality lies in our living the life of Christ; living in him as the branch lives in the vine; absorbing His life, and thereby expelling our "self-life;" having been "born again" (17) into consciousness of the holy spirit which God has given us, and living in conscious exercise of the spirit. Our common experience, when it becomes saturated with his life, is glorified with delight.

Christ came not only to reveal and exemplify the God-like life, but to conduct mankind into that divine, joyful, eternal experience. He not only proved himself willing to endure the conditions he imposes, but he showed us how, under most cramping and contrary conditions, human life may attain to Divinity, and achieve a complete triumph. Hence the frequent expression, "in Christ," in his Life, because in his spirit.

By virtue of the spirit of God dwelling in us, we have the privilege of living in the Life of God. It is His Will that our life should be not merely an occasion of pleasure, but the preparation for an eternal existence. This eternal quality we weave into it now, or never.

"The fabric of the life to be, we weave with colors

all our own; And in the field of destiny, we reap what we have sown."

This is the Divine Life; that we may know the Truth; that we may love as God loves; be Right as God is Right; pure as

18 CHAPTER II

I am the bread. — see Note 8.

The Words . , are spirit and are Life. — the development of spirit (33) and Life (along normal lines of education) is through knowledge of the Truth as declared in the Word of Truth.

3 He who has the Son, . . the Author of Life, . . has Life; shall be saved in his Life. If the spirit of Christ be in you, though the body be dead through sin, yet in the spiirit of Christ is Life, through Rightness. If the spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in. you, Gk)d will bring your dying (in sin) bodies to (present) life through 5is spirit which dwells in you. The first Adam became a living soul; the last Adam, a Life-giving spirit. As "in Adam" all die; so "in Christ" shall all be made alive. i

Shall be saved. — see Salvation through Life, Note 5.

In the spirit. — and "the spirit in you" have the same meaning. The holy spirit in us is advising and encouraging us in our high endeavor, quickening our spiritual powers, working in us with an energizing Grace.

Through Rightness. — (27) Rightness, conduct according to Truth, is the essential quality of Life which gives permanence.

Living soul. — Some translators read "living animal." If we are living only^'in the animal life of Adam, we are doomed to eternal death. Only "in Christ" (29) is true Life.

4 Although we were separated from the Life of God through our ignorance, and the insensibility of our hearts, yet, having been taught the Truth as it is (shown) in Jesus, God gave us repentance unto Life. The spirit of life "in Christ Jesus" sets us free from the power of Sin and of Death. Those laying hold of the abundance of Grace, and of Rightness, shall reign in Life, through Jesus Christ. We are always in our suffering, demonstrating the dying of the Lord Jesus; that the Life of Jesus might also be exemplified in us.

Repentance. — re-newal of mind (52;) involving reconciliation (23,) and transformation (17.)

In our suffering. — our painful endeavor to acquire Rightness; crucifying (51) the flesh, with the passions and lusts.

5 The abundance of anyone's life does not come from his material possessions. If you are intent upon entering Life, keep the

God is pure. No power of God is impossible to man, if he can hold his sense-life in subjection, and establish the freedom of his spirit.

The Divine Life begins in the mind; to know the Truth; hence, — "In the Word was Life;" "Man shall live . . in e very- Word of God;" "The Words which I speak are spirit and are Life." We must have grasped the spiritual Idea of God that the spiritual life may be directed to accord with it. Then follows Repentance, re-newing of the mind, revision of the intellectual interest, of the trend of thought; arousing the imagination of the heart. Love supplies the incentive; Faith is the co-operation with the Divine Purpose and power ("The Right man Lives in Faith;") Hope supplies the encouragement; Rightness is the temporary and Eternal Life the final result.

4. Death is not to cease to exist (for physical death is only an incident in an endless existence) but the partial or entire paralysis, atrophy, wasting away of the faculties; ceasing to live in some degree (43;) inSensibility (19.) Death, both physical and moral, "is working in us," We are inevitably dying unless we are striving to live.'

Again, in the active sense, ^'to die" defines the voluntary paralysis of the sinful lusts (50,51,) through the purifying spirit of Christ in us. We are "dead" to that which no longer appeals to us, or awakens desire. We are "alive" to that which keenly interests and is ardently desired. Repentance (52) is the complete change and revision of interests and desires.

To kill, — is to conquer thoroughly, to silence, to render unconscious, to disable.

5. As the body can be "saved" from disease, and restored to wholeness and health, only by building up the life, the bodily vitality; so the spirit, diseased, paralyzed by sin, can be saved, made whole, purified, preserved into eternity (56), only by invigorating the life of the spirit, infusing into it the Life of the spirit of Christ, empowering it to throw off the cause of the disease.

"Our lives, discolored with our present woes. May still grow white, and smile with happier hours, $0 the pure, limpid stream, when foul with stains Of rushing torrents and descending rains. Works itself clear, and as it runs, refines, Till by degrees, the floating mirror shines, Reflects each flower that on the border grows, And a new heaven in its fair bosom shows."

20 CHAPTER II commandments; which are condensed in this Word; You shall love your fellow man as yourself. We know that we have passed cut of death into life, because we love the brethren.

Possessions. — The true Life of man consists not in the abundance of what he has, but in the value of what he is; his wealth of Truth, Rightness, and the disposition to Love; his treasures in heaven of Goodness and kindness shown "to the least of these." See note to x:l.

6 Love not the world, nor the things in the world; because all that is in the world; the desire of the flesh (sensuality,) and the desire of the eye (greed,) and the boasting of prosperity, is not of the Father, but of the world. The world is passing away, and the lust of it ; but he who does the Will of God abddes forever.

Love not the world. — Do not center your affection on that which you must inevitably lose. "How mad it is to hope for contentment to our infinite spirits from the gifts of this finite, passing, perishing world."

7 Broad is the gate and luxurious the way that leads to destruction, and they are many who enter through it. Narrow is the gate and compressed the way that leads into Life, and they are few. who find it. Fortunate is the man who endures trial; that, having been approved, he shall receive the crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Broad, . . compressed. — see note to v:2. Crown. — see note to xxv:3.

Eternal Life! It rings with the sound of the ArchangeFs trumpet, rousing the New Man to his New life. Certainly then; "I press toward the mark of the heavenly calling of God. — in Christ Jesus;" every sense alert; "fighting the good fight;" "keeping the Faith." "Then cometh the end — "

"Th^. seas shall waste; the skies to smoke decay;

Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away."

" — and Death shall b^ swallowed up in Victory."

For whom ?

"The Lord knoweth them that are His."

"Let every one who names the Name of Christ depart from unRightness."

The Ideal Life

8 God, who called out of darkness the Light which shines in our hearts, has caused the radiancy of His glory to shine in the face

CHAPTER II 21 of Jesus Christ; and we all, with clear visHon, beholding as if reflected in a mirror, the glory of God, are transformed to the same likeness, from glory to glory, by the spirit of God; — whose purpose and Favour, given us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time, is now disclosed by the appearing of our Saviour, who has disabled Death, and brought Life and immortality to light.

9 Those dwelling in Jerusalem and their leaders, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are made known again every Sabbath; (which they fulfilled in condemning him;) though they found no fault worthy of death in him, yet they required Pilate to put him to death. And when they had accomplished all that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.

10 But God raised him from the dead; and set him at His right hand in heaven, above every principality, and authority, and power, and lordship, and every Name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the? coming one. And put all things under his feet, and gave Mm (the head over all things) to the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The fullness.— The Church is filled full by Him who fills all existing things with all needful things.

11 Christ loved the Church, and dedicated himself for it, that he might purify it, having cleansed it by baptism in the Word; that he might present it to himself a glorified church, not having spot or flaw, or any other defect, but that it should be pure and without blemish.

Dedicated. — wholly and irrevocably devoted himself. See notes to v:5, xii:8.

12 Christ's love confines us to this obligation; for we must conclude that if one died for all, it was because all were (spiritually) dead; and he died for all; that they which live should not hereafter live for their own pleasure, but for his who for them died and rose again. God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has brought us to life "in Christ," andVaised us up together, into the enjoyment of the heavenly blessings, that, by kindness to us who are "in Christ Jesus," He might indicate to the coming ages, what is the incomprehensible wealth of His Favour.

Has brought us to Life . . and raised us up. — "In Christ" thero is a present resurrection into a New and heavenly Life.

Chapter III. The Blood

We, the Church of Christ, which he acquired through his own Blood; have liberation through his Blood, — the putting away of sins, — through him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own Blood. If we walk in the Light, as he is in the light, we have participation in him, and the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.

2 Having been made Right in his Blood we shall be made whole in his life; whom God set forth, a new and living Way (into His presence and favour) through faithfulness in his Blood.

Blood . . life. — This illustrates how blood and life are synonymous terms. See Notes 6, 3.

3 Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will ratify a new covenant ; not of rules to obey, but of spirit in which to live, — the spirit of Love. Then I will give my laws into their mind; also in their hearts I will inscribe them; and all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. ,

Covenant. — a contract. The Old Covenant was to the effect that if Israel would literally obey the Law — embodied in the Ten Commandments — God would preserve them. The New Covenant is one of spiritual communion, of reciprocity of Love; the enjoyment of the Favours of God in consideration of our faithful love of God, and man. j

Shall know me. — implies both understanding and inttmate relations.

4 The Blood of Christ, who (through the eternal spirit,) offered himself spotless to God, will cleanse your moral judgment, that you may serve the living God; therefore he is the mediator of the New Covenant; — which is in purification of spirit unto obedience, and consecration in the Blood of Jesits Christ. With the Blood of the Covenant you were purified. In the Blood of the